The present invention pertains to gas separation devices and more particularly to the reinforcing of non-planar sheet form or zigzag filter media.
Gas filters of this type may be subjected to a pressure drop across the filter media, that is, from the upstream side to the downstream side relative to the direction of the flow of the gas stream. The force generated on the upstream face of the filter media resulting from the pressure drop causes the filter media to deflect or bow outwardly of the filter frame in a downstream direction. When this bowing or deflection becomes too great, the seal between the filter media and filter frame could be broken allowing dirty gas to pass therebetween.
In practice, it has been known for a source of gas in communication with a pleated filter to malfunction causing a gas stream to be generated of higher pressure than design conditions call for, resulting in the type of filter failure discussed above.
Therefore, a need exists for a gas filter of the pleated or zigzag type which can withstand high pressure drop from time to time without rupture of the filter media to filter frame connection.